Steelers Throwback Thursday: Vince Williams creams Andy Dalton at crunch time

Steel City Underground presents “Steelers Throwback Thursday” featuring plays from recent seasons which you may have forgotten about! Now we’re “bringing them back!”

It wasn’t a pretty start for the Pittsburgh Steelers on a Monday Night in Cincinnati back in December of the 2017 season. Pittsburgh fell behind a division “rival”, the Cincinnati Bengals, 17-0 before a fast three-point drive to end the half closed that to within two scores at 17-3.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Steelers offense was showing signs of life, but failed to find the end zone after an 11-play, 74-yard drive. Following a 37-yard Chris Boswell field goal, Pittsburgh closed Cincy’s lead to seven and was in dire need of their defense to make a stand.

And they would immediately make one.

On the Bengals very first play from scrimmage following the kickoff after Boswell’s field goal, Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler dialed up the perfect blitz, utilizing his inside linebacker Vince Williams.

Williams storms through the center of the Bengals offensive line, completely untouched, as Cincinnati QB Andy Dalton curls into the fetal position to brace for the big hit.

The sack would generate an eight-yard loss for the Bengals, followed by a false start penalty which dug them into a deeper hole, moving Cincinnati’s offense all the way back to their own eight-yard line. Two plays later, the Bengals would punt, setting up the Steelers for their game-tying touchdown drive.

Pittsburgh would go on to win by a final score of 23-20, improving to 10-2 on the season with four more games remaining on the schedule.